Mikey Garcia.Trainer Robert Garcia, the former world champion says younger brother and reigning WBO world featherweight champion Juan Miguel “Mikey” Garcia is ready for war against former champion Juan Manuel “Juanma Lopez” of Puerto Rico in their June 15 battle in Dallas, Texas.

Garcia told the Manila Standard “I cant promise you it will be a war because Mikey doesn’t fight wars. He fights a smart, technical fight. But if he (Juanma) wants a war we’ll be ready like we were ready for (Omar) Salido” from whom Garcia won the title and retained it in a rematch.

The trainer said “if it turns out into a war we’ll be ready for what Juanma brings but I think it will be a very technical fight by Mikey.” Garcia told us he expects Juanma to try and push Mikey around but indicated they are prepared for that just like they were prepared for a similar strategy by Salido.

Garcia pointed out that Mikey “fought very smart and controlled the fight and it was very easy. We are prepared to do the same against Juanma."

However, Garcia conceded that Juanma Lopez “is a left hander with tremendous power so we have to be careful and fight smart, but we expect Mikey to win.”

He said Mikey has been doing “really good work in sparring with two main guys and three others.” One of his sparring partners is from Argentina while the other is 2012 US Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr. who was the US National featherweight champion at the US Olympic training center in Colorado.

A southpaw, Diaz made won a four round unanimous decision against Vicente Alfaro in his pro debut after scoring a knockdown in the final round and in his last fight on February 2 this year won by a TKO over Jose Ruiz of Puerto Rico.

Boxing Scene reported that the trainer of “Juanma” Lopez, Lex Caraballo is confident that Juanma will stop Garcia although Lopez was stopped twice by Orlando Salido who in turn was destroyed by Garcia when he won the world title.

Caraballo noted "Garcia is young and strong puncher but the times he has fought southpaws he has not looked good. This fight will end by knockout. Mikey Garcia is tailor-made for Juanma. Juanma is super-motivated.”